Grevillea arenaria explained

Grevillea arenaria, commonly known as sand grevillea^[1] or hoary grevillea,^[2] is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to New South Wales. It is a spreading shrub with elliptic to egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, and red, pink or orange flowers.

Description

Grevillea arenaria is an erect to spreading shrub that grows to a height of . The leaves are elliptic to egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, long and wide with the edges turned down or rolled under. The flowers are arranged in groups of two to six on the ends of short side branches along a rachis long, and are red, pink or orange and hairy. The pistil is long and the ovary is sessile. Flowers are present in most months with a peak in spring.^{[3] [4]}

Taxonomy

Grevillea arenaria was first formally described in 1810 by Robert Brown in Transactions of the Linnean Society of London from specimens collected near Port Jackson.^{[5] [6]}

The names of two subspecies are accepted by the Australian Plant Census:

• Grevillea arenaria R.Br. subsp. arenaria,^[7] commonly known as sand grevillea has leaves that are silky- or woolly-hairy on the lower surface and a gynoecium long;^[8]
• Grevillea arenaria subsp. canescens (R.Br.) Olde & Marriott^[9] commonly known as hoary grevillea has leaves that are velvety on the lower surface and a gynoecium long;^[10]

Distribution and habitat

This grevillea grows in open forest, often in rocky places, near creeks or cliffs in south-eastern New South Wales. Subspecies arenaria mostly occurs on the eastern side of the Great Dividing Range and nearby ranges from Richmond to the Deua River and subspecies canescens is mostly found on the drier, western side of the ranges, from Tamworth and Gilgandra to Bathurst and western parts of the Blue Mountains.

Conservation status

Grevillea arenaria is listed as "Least Concern" on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It is widely distributed and its population is presumed stable, or in minor decline. There are currently some localised threats to this species, but none that would significantly affect its population.^[11]

External links

• Grevillea arenaria: Images and occurrence data from Atlas of Living Australia

Notes and References

1. Web site: Makinson . Robert O. . Grevillea arenaria subsp. arenaria . Royal Botanic Garden Sydney . 27 November 2021.
2. Web site: Makinson . Robert O. . Grevillea arenaria subsp. canescens . Royal Botanic Garden Sydney . 27 November 2021.
3. Web site: Makinson . Robert O. . Grevillea arenaria . Royal Botanic Garden Sydney . 27 November 2021.
4. Web site: Grevillea arenaria . Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment: Canberra . 27 November 2021.
5. Web site: Grevillea arenaria. APNI. 27 November 2020.
6. Brown . Robert . On the Proteaceae of Jussieu . Transactions of the Linnean Society of London . 1810 . 10 . 1 . 172 . 27 November 2021.
7. Web site: Grevillea arenaria subsp. arenaria. Australian Plant Census. 27 November 2021.
8. Web site: Grevillea arenaria subsp. arenaria . Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment: Canberra . 27 November 2021.
9. Web site: Grevillea arenaria subsp. canescens. Australian Plant Census. 27 November 2021.
10. Web site: Grevillea arenaria subsp. canescens . Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment: Canberra . 27 November 2021.
11. Makinson, R. . Olde, P. . 2020 . Grevillea arenaria . 2020 . e.T112646078A113309190 . 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T112646078A113309190.en . 20 December 2023.